To think we all have a curious/nosy streak?

[AlternativePerspective]

Inspired by the neighbours thread but in the past I’ve often read threads on here from people who have seen something outside/heard a snippet of a conversation and are intrigued to know what it’s all about. And invariably someone comes on to the thread and says something like “mind your own business. Don’t you have anything better to do?”

Now while obviously if someone were actively spying on people that would be OTT, AIBU to think that everyone has a streak of nosiness/intrigue in them about something, even those who claim to never have any interest in anyone else’s goings on ever?

Or are there really people who live in an insulated bubble where no-one else interests them at all?

Depends on what you're curious about. If the neighbours are doing something interesting or funny then yes, it's natural to be curious. If they're openly having an affair or having swinger orgies at their house... Yeah, most people would look. However, it's not normal to obsess.

However in relation to that thread, it was obsession over something that the op created in her head based on assumptions she made about ordinary people doing absolutely nothing. That's creepy and weird.

YANBU. In the current climate we have to get our excitement where we can.

The day I stop being curious about things, is probably the the day I die! Curiosity about the world, people and life is a great way to live

Isn't that why we're all here? Maybe we should be minding own business and not reading about issues random people are having in their lives.

If there's something actually going on then yanbu. But as said, when someone starts to fabricate what's happening and adding to it, it becomes dangerous and vindictive.

I am someone who can't stand gossip and bad mindedness, though.

Yanbu, we're all curious creatures - perhaps some more than others!
Now I'm curious about the thread that @ReneeRol is talking about 😄

There are loads of people who ha zeo interest in anyone else's life. I've come across many and in the main they aren't people I'd choose to be friends with as it's impossible to have what I'd call a normal conversation as they can only talk about themselve and their immediate family.

There are always posters who say they have no interest in anyone else's lives on neighbour type threads

It's possible to be curious without being nosy. Spying on and reporting neighbours? Mind your business. Having coffee with a friend? It's ok to be curious. It's about boundaries, privacy and respect.

I get what you mean; I’ll overhear conversations sometimes and my interested will be piqued. I don’t pretend otherwise. But sometimes MN goes to weird extremes with it.

I actually saw a thread once where the topic was ‘My neighbour NEVER draws her curtains! Like ever, even in winter! Isn’t that weird?!’ Well a) not particularly and b) what do you expect the folk of MN to say in response? That goes beyond curiosity and into get a life territory.

I'm just really curious about other humans and how they came to be the way they are.

I try not to be invasive (and tell myself off if I find myself thinking something mean or bitchy), but who likes whom, and who hates who, and why Polly isn't talking to Justine, and whether Simon's behaviour can be explained by his childhood...all interesting to me.

That having been said, I live a really stable life with stable friendships and absolutely no drama - so I get my kicks watching the Bachelorette.

It’s possible to be curious and notice things without being intrusive. Actually asking the neighbour for info is horribly intrusive and nosy.

I have a nosy neighbour, a woman in her 60s who seems to sit at her kitchen table looking out the window all day. She has made comments to me in the past about how when certain gentlemen stay she knows they don’t stay in my spare room as she hasn’t seen me open the windows in my spare room to freshen it (spare room is at the front of the house). She has left me in no doubt of her disapproval. I despise that woman and others of a similar ilk.

Nope - I have zero interest in what my neighbours do or don't do.